Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Englewood Neighborhood Choir, Englewood Sings is a festival of musical and cultural workshops, culminating in an exciting showcase performance by the Englewood Neighborhood Choir, all workshop participants, and special guests the Kentucky State University Concert Choir, led by Dr. Keith McCutchen.
We welcome the talented youth of Englewood to make their presence known by singing for peace, love, joy and justice. Singers ages 8-18 are encouraged to participate!
The showcase is free and open to the public, but we appreciate donations to keep our programs and events accessible to all!
Schedule
Mr. Norwood was named Best Music Teacher at Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago 2022 awards!
Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Lonnie Norwood, Jr. grew up with an unquenchable passion for music and his heritage. He knew early that both would be integral parts of his life's work. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Luther College where he studied under world renowned conductor, Weston Noble. He went on to earn a Master of Music degree with an emphasis in Voice from Florida State University.
Lonnie joined the artistic staff at Uniting Voices Chicago as a conductor in 2012 and opened its vivacious Englewood Neighborhood Choir (2013). His ensemble has performed for live television and radio broadcasts, at numerous city venues including the Chicago Symphony Center and The McCormick Convention Center and have completed four national choir tours, including one to Puerto Rico learning and performing Bomba with the Ayala family of Loíza. Their most significant work, perhaps, is serving the community of Englewood in song at local churches, parks, shopping centers, block parties, schools, and assisted living facilities. Additionally, he has been appointed Director of Africana Studies and conductor of the Lincoln Park/DePaul Neighborhood Choir at Uniting Voices Chicago.
Mr. Buchannon was named Best Choreographer at Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago 2023 awards!
Born and raised in Auburn, AL, Farlanda Buchannon found his love for the arts through vast choral experiences and the harmonious melodies of Southern gospel music in church. Growing up, he had exposure to various performance venues, most notably the Grand Ole Opry, as a singer/dancer in his high school show choir, Auburn Varsity Singers. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance. For the last four years, Farlanda has traveled throughout the southern United States and beyond as a choreographer and vocal coach for several middle and high school show choirs.
In addition to his conductor commitments, Farlanda serves as the in-house choreographer for Uniting Voices Chicago. He believes that teaching students from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds through diverse choral literature builds community and facilitates creativity. He also believes his identity as an African-American male plays an important role in his work as an educator.
Ivelisse “Bombera de Corazón” Diaz was born and raised in Humboldt Park. With over 27 years of learning and continued studies, Diaz has become a well-known Afro-Puerto Rican dance creator, vocalist, and leader within the Bomba community. Bomba is Puerto Rico’s oldest musical expression developed during the 18th century by the island’s African descendants. Diaz is a co-founding member of Bomba con Buya and has traveled with the group and as a soloist to Ghana, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, California and New York. She is Director/Founder of La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón Bomba school (established in 2009). In 2019, Diaz was a Musical Consultant and lead vocalist for Nickelodeon’s cartoon series Santiago of the Seas, and she received the 3Arts Award.
Pianist, composer and conductor Keith McCutchen is the director of the Kentucky State University Concert Choir and director of Choral Activities at Kentucky State. Previously, McCutchen has taught music theory and jazz piano at St. Olaf College, Northfield Minnesota, directed the vocal jazz ensembles at the University of Minnesota, as well as served as director of the African American Choral Ensemble at Indiana University, Bloomington. Prior to teaching at the collegiate level, Keith taught in the Fayette County School system, Lexington Kentucky, teaching, Arts and Humanities at Tates Creek Middle School and chorus at Henry Clay High School and School for the Performing Arts, SCAPA of Lexington.